Nestled in the clearings and slopes of the Ouachita Mountains, with a range spanning just eight counties across Arkansas and Oklahoma, resides the Ouachita Mountain leadplant. Listed by the International Union for Conservation of Nature as vulnerable, this rare plant is threatened by habitat alteration. Also called Ouachita false indigo or Ouachita indigobush, it belongs to the legume family (the same family as peas!).

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     The dark purple flowers, each just a few millimeters long, form an inflorescence up to eight inches long which spirals up from a mass of silvery-green leaves. At the center of each tiny floret is a golden anther; the contrast gives each spire of flowers a shimmery effect against a blue sky. Visitors can follow the hornbeams to the Lotus Fountain to find this impressive American plant in the center of the tropical garden.